Friendo #1 (Vault): I&N Demand “What business is it of yours” why I’m interested in this book, Friendo? Playin’, B. Yet another fun idea from Vault Comics! I’ve got my good eye on the artist, Martin Simmonds. (He happens to be working with main-man Monty Nero on Death Sentence: Liberty, which I’ve happily backed on Kickstarter–and which should be out soon! Yay! Until then-o, of course, I’ll try-o Friendo.) Let’s see what kind of magic he’s got goin’ on with Alex Paknadel, who, for me, is an unknown quantity. But the prospect of a VR BFF goin’ all 5150’s got me giggling back a few decades to the glorious sigh-fi flick Electric Dreams, which sparked my teen-aged imagination in many ways–one of those ways leading to the beautiful topography of a newly-discovered Virginia. Giggles.

High Heaven #1 (AHOY): I&N Demand AHOY Comics rocked the world a couple of weeks ago with TheWrong Earth; and here’s Tom Peyer, this time teaming up with Greg Scott, ready to hit loftier heights with High Heaven. Hell, yeah!

My wife and I have gone to a few concerts over the past few months, including Vertical Horizon/Tonic/Gin Blossoms, the always brilliant Richard Thompson (with G. E. Smith), and The Pixies & Weezer. If you’re reading this on Wednesday: tonight, we’re headed out to see Counting Crows & Live (honesty: looking forward to the latter); and on Labor Day weekend–right before I return to work (a sorta cross between a fist pump and a “foiled again”)–we’ve got Judas Priest & Deep Purple (it’s all about the former for me!). And, (big secret: don’t tell) for our anniversary, I’ve scored another go-round with Richard Thompson in November! (Quick math: that’ll be our eighth time with RT! Yeah: we’re fans.) Before we head out to the Live show (see what I did there: shooed away the Crows), hoping against the forecast that lightning, in fact, doesn’t crash, I’ve got to go pick up my comics. Here’s the big list:

Cold Spots #1 (Image): I&N Demand Goddamned Bone Parish was dead-ass intoxicating. Now, even before that hellishly hot piece of horror’s been bagged and boarded, here’s Cold Spots, which will, if history counts for anything, set the shelves alight. See: when it comes to horror comics, Cullen Bunn’s kinda cornered the graveyard, hasn’t he? Fuck yeah, he has. So this one’s a no-brainer. And a no-body-er. You know, cuz of the ghosts.

Days of Hate #7 (Image): I&N Demand Remembering #6: Man, when Aleš Kot gets all poetic and shit, he emerges all politic and shit, and the world spins a bit differently–it slows down to let the images take shape and, as they do, they reshape us. Kot reshapes us. He -isms all over us. The son of a bitch owns us from front to back–even if our politics are polar enemies. Yes: he’s that good–he’s more, wielding like a poet Danijel Žeželj’s beautifully brooding artwork (those blacks, tho) and Jordie Bellaire’s typically bold palette; and the layouts–the fucking layouts, like visual meth, moving, moving apace–particularly the oh-so-familiar nine-panel pages that are manipulated to such a colorful end, and, wouldn’t you know, encourage us willing voyeurs, cleverly, to watch women as Kot develops at once several crucial relationships (including the one between him and us), and does so organically, oh-so poetically. Yeah, there’s so much to love about Days of Hate–because there’s so much love in Days of Hate.

Die! Die! Die! #2 (Image)

Redneck #14 (Image): I&N Demand Redneck, Redneck, oh, how I offered my throat– twelve times, true!–only to be left wanting, even on the odd but teased to plump carotids; however, it took till thirteen, didn’t it, to break the skin–for Redneck to claim me as its very own, with a neck as red as a good ol’ vampire’s wet dream. (I just slid said chapter from its bag, to revisit, and, damn, got a rush–memories of the first time rhythmically kicking my carotids–boom, boom, boom…) I loved that issue so much, that I celebrated it with a 22 I&N 22. (Love how that one turned out!) What I’m trying to say, if it isn’t clear, is that I’m very much looking forward to fourteen–and am hoping that Cates, Estherren, and Cunniffe kill it–and me–again.

Royal City #14 (Image)

Black Hammer: Age of Doom #4 (Dark Horse): I&N Demand Jeff Lemire is on fire (pronounced fi-ear, obviously)–again; and this particular inferno–spread to other books I&N Store this week–has at its source the Eisner-award winning accelerant that is Black Hammer, now four issues into the Age of Doom, which has been just as beautiful (thanks to the passively moody pairing of Dean Ormston and Dave Stewart) and engaging–thanks to the gloriously nostalgic nods (many in the knowingly-named “Land of Nod,” for God’s sake!) to which I–like you, I’m sure–look forward. #3 was a terrific trip with some subplots taking odd turns, throwing characters off, throwing us readers off–and Lemire puts words–“Wait. What?” or for the saltier of us an incredulous “What the fuck just happened […]?”–in the mouths of those bound to the pages and of those who hover just above them. In the end, a weird “Uh oh” pretty well sets the stage for all hell to break Lucy–or for Lucy to take her fucking hammer and smash it all to embers. Now, that’s hot.

Action Comics #1002 (DC)

The Amazing Spider-Man #4 (Marvel): I&N Demand I can’t believe I typed it. TheAmazing Effing Spider-Man–I&N Demand. I can’t believe I typed it again! What can I say: it took til #3, but see: Nick Spencer’s caught me in his web of radioactively witty dialogue, which reminded me of being happily trapped by Ant-Man and The Astonishing Ant-Man; and Ryan Ottley’s style is well-spun fun that pops perfectly–thanks to Cliff Rathburn’s sharp inks and Laura Martin’s crisp colors. I’m sure I’m not a clone in this: I’m buying Spencer’s Split Spider angle–I sense a comPeteition coming on!–and the poisonous potential of mixing power and irresponsibility. Come on: that is pretty amazing–and, doubtless, deserves the coveted I&N Demand designation.